Number Line app for Counting On strategy

During math, my class has been learning the  strategy of counting on. Today we focused on counting-on on a number line up to 20. After doing a couple of problems together on the SMARTboard, I wanted to give everyone a chance to actively participate, so we took out our iPads and used the free app, Number Line. This is a very easy app to use and has several great functions including the ability to hide and reveal numbers on the number line, the ability to mark the number line with multiples of any whole number from 1-100, and easy drawing tools just to name a few.

As we worked through using the app for the first time, I had one of my very tech capable students use Air Server to mirror her iPad to the SMARTboard so we could all follow along. If you haven't used Air Server or some other form of mirroring, I highly recommend it. It is a fantastic and easy way to model apps and have students show and share their work.

As we worked through our objective for the day, students circled our starting number, made their "bunny hops" for counting on and then showed the mathematical number sentence by writing it above their work.  Using this app kept everyone involved and engaged in our learning and in my opinion, truly helped us to grab onto the concept as we were able to visually represent it and then use that representation to create our number sentences.

Pic Collage for buddy intro

Looking for a tech-inspired way for your class to introduce themselves to a Skype or Twitter buddy class? Look no further, PicCollage is your go-to, easy schmeasy app of choice!

This morning we spent some time putting together a PicCollage project to send to our buddy class in Oshawa, Canada. Each table team was responsible for working together to take each others' pictures, import them into the PicCollage app, add their names, change the background and add stickers if they so chose. 

Each team did a fantastic job problem solving how each person would take somebody else's picture so everyone got a turn (this may seem simple, but for a 1st grader, this can be a big problem solving process) The creativity and differences between each groups projects were neat to see and compare. 

When we were done, we emailed our collages to our buddy class so that they could get to know us better. Our buddy class also used PicCollage and sent us their creation which we now have proudly displayed in our classroom. This has really helped us to put a name to a face (pun intended) and is helping us to feel more connected with our buddies when we read their posts on Twitter.

The finished product and a happy team!

Calendar time with a tech twist

 This month I am trying something new during our calendar time in order  for all students to participate and more importantly, for all students to be able to analyze and share their information about our weather graph at the end of the month. We normally do our calendar routine on the Smartboard, which allows student participation, but only allows one student at a time.

To start our new venture, I took used the snipping tool to capture a picture of our October calendar, minus the dates and extra icons that we drag each day, and also snipped a copy of the weather graph that we use. I then sent these two pictures to my students' iPad via the Chirp app (more on that later this week). Once I sent these, students saved them to their camera roll and then imported the pictures into the Doodlecast Pro app.  Each morning as we complete our calendar on the smartboard, students will now also add the date to their own calendar on their iPad and also color in the corresponding area on our weather graph. 

At the end of the month, we'll use the recording feature of Doodlecast Pro to analyze our weather graph and tell what we observe. For example, there are 5 more sunny days than rainy. When we are done, the Doodlecast app, will also allow us to share our finished projects with parents, our global classrooms and myself. 

Twitter

Do you use Twitter in your classroom? Are you looking for a way to easily display the names of the classes that you most frequently connect with? 

If so, head over to my TPT store and download this free, simple "poster" and then write the Twitter handles and names of the classes you connect with most often. I plan to display mine near our Smartboard so kiddos can easily double check who they are sending their Tweets too.

Dot Day Success!

Our Dot Day was a success today! To help get my students excited about the day, each of them got this sheet on their desks this morning. Their job was to color a picture inside of "the dot".

Once they finished their coloring, they opened an app called, colAR Mix on their iPads and pointed their iPad at their image. As they held their iPad on their sheet, the center area came to life in a 3D way. You can click on the link above to download this free app and try it yourself. There are other neat pictures to color and use the app on as well. My 2nd grade son has printed some of the sheets to practice his spelling words on. He's always excited to see what it will do. This has definitely been a motivator for him! (Whatever works!!!)

 After watching the story on YouTube, we used the Drawing Pad app to create digital dot pictures. Here are our finished digital dot art pieces. Kiddos not only learned how to navigate the new app Drawing Pad, but also how to use a stylus, how to take a screen shot and how to save their images to their camera roll today as well. It was a fantastic day of embedding technology into our learning!

The Dot Project

Are you looking for a collaborative digital project to start your year that doesn't take much prep? If you answered yes, I've got just the place for you to start! It's The Dot Project!

Monday, September 15th is International Dot Day- a day to celebrate creativity, courage and collaboration. Yes, I know that tomorrow is the 15th which doesn't leave you much time, but remember... I said it doesn't take much prep?!

If you are interested in participating in this project, go to the The Dot Club to sign up.  You simply need to share the book by Peter Reynolds called, The Dot and then find a creative way to help make YOUR mark. They have a fantastic PDF that gives lots of ideas, may of which are as simple as taking a piece of paper and having your class create their own dot pictures. Can't get much simpler than that!

My class will be participating this year and will be enjoying the book via the YouTube video below. (I've made even less prep for you by embedding it below) We will then talk about creativity, self expression, and taking risks.  As part of this project, we will then create our own dot projects and see what just a dot can turn into when it comes from different people's imaginations. We will be doing our projects digitally on our iPads using either the Doodle Buddy app (free) or the Drawing Pad app ($1.99 or 99 cents if volume purchased). 

Once we finish our projects, we will share them with our parents via our classroom blog. We also plan to Skype with our buddy class from Canada and share our creations with them as well.

So... what are you waiting for? Go sign up and take part in this year's International Dot Day! The video is below and everyone has paper to do pictures with. If you're interested in connecting with a class after the project, we'd be happy to hook up with you as well!